This one left a couple too many unanswered questions for me.

I thought the build up of the book was good but the therapists past and the patients past being weirdly twisted together wasn’t all that I thought it could be.

A new-to-me author who has written a terrific thriller that kept me engaged all the way to the very end! Well-developed characters, an amazing plot and lots of red herrings figure in to the story. Really well done!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

16-year-old Jade is accused of doing something unthinkable, especially for a small minor. She has been found in one of the hotel rooms of her father’s hotel with a grown man deceased via multiple stab wounds, covered in blood, with no recollection of what happened. Tara Black has been assigned by Jade’s defense attorney and father (Ray) as her psychologist to write up a report on whether Jade’s amnesia is genuine or not. Her father is a wealthy man and will use every connection he has to protect his daughter. As the story unfolds, we learn that there are many secrets Jade’s happy family is hiding.

I’m a huge fan of psychological thrillers so I was excited at the opportunity to read this. The description had me hooked right away. Then when I started reading, I was sucked right in. The Perfect Patient did a good job in making the characters relatable and really made me feel empathetic towards them and everything they’ve been through. I liked the pace in which all of the twists were revealed. The book is written in third person, which I’m not the biggest fan of, but it was easy to read still.

*** Spoilers**I didn’t like how things were left open-ended with Tara. We never found out about what really happened to her parents. We never found out what happened to her brother after his disappearance. We never found out what happened in her hit and run that killed her married lover. There were too many loose ends I would have liked a resolution to with her story. I’m not sure why they were brought up in the first place if we were never going to find out what happened. I guess to show why she could relate to Jade’s case and why she was involved. Still, it was annoying to be so invested in Tara’s story but never get any answers. I feel like this might have been done purposely to leave the book open to a sequel in the future. I hate it when books or movies are left open ended like that though. Also, the fact that they kept hinting towards Ray (Jade’s foster father) being her biological father, and never finding out the truth behind that was frustrating.
The fact that Jade had an alternate personality (Ruby) that protected her since she was younger was something that I liked and did not expect. I also liked that Sandra, who was Jade’s foster mother and her biological mother’s sister, was the one responsible for Paula’s death (Paula is Jade’s biological mother) that was something I did not see coming. It was heartbreaking to see she was trying to get her act together to get Jade back but instead was forced into an overdose. **End of Spoilers**

Overall, I did enjoy this book. However, the ending just left too much unanswered for it to feel satisfying for me.

Thank you Luana Lewis, Bookouture, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Thankyou to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.
This is my first title from this author and I will be reading more in the future.
I really really enjoyed this book!
The short chapters are great and the storyline keeps you engaged throughout the story.
Would recommend this to anyone looking for a new title.
Thanks again
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Perfect Patient
By: Luana Lewis
Publication date: September 28, 2023

“The first time I meet Jade, I can’t help but be impressed by her. Young, smart and confident, she’s everything I wish I had been at 18. But Jade isn’t any ordinary teenager – she’s accused of murdering a man twice her age. And it’s my job to find out the truth.”

This Psychological thriller keeps you hooked from the first page. Page is a 17 year old who is being accused of murder she was found in a hotel room with a man that was stabbed 11 times but she doesn’t remember doing it. Tara is a clinical psychologist asked to evaluate jade and give her input into the case.

Let me start off with what I liked about this book:
- [ ] Tara as a character
- [ ] The fast paced
- [ ] The twist the book took

What wasn’t my favorite:
- [ ] I knew “who did it” pretty early on

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for gifting me this ACR in exchange for my honest reviewer.

This book had me captivated from the very first page and right till the last page. First time I have read a book from this author and I can't wait to read more. Very enjoyable read

I honestly knew who did it from the jump but I did like the idea of the book. I think overall, the idea of hypnosis was interesting and so was the counselor being deeply involved in the case.

Wow, I really enjoyed this one. It was a little different I must say but kept me intrigued. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of the Perfect Patient by Luana Lewis.
This book was full of very complex characters that interacted in intense ways and little by little more information about them was revealed. This was a murder mystery and I am not sure I would categorize it as a thriller. It kept me engaged the whole time and I enjoyed myself while reading this book. I would recommend it to others who like murder mysteries. I gave it a 5 star rating.

This book has it all. There are lies, betrayal, drug addiction, abuse, secrets, and murder. The patient is a 17 year old girl claiming amnesia after a man is found stabbed 11 times in The Red Room at the Onyx Hotel. The hotel is owned by her over protective father. Jade is a pawn in this domestic thriller who wants clarity about her early abusive life and why she can't recall the details of the night in question. Tara, a clinical psychologist is hired y the defense to prove Jade's amnesia is authentic. The story takes you on a Jade's journey and the tension rises and the twists keep you turning the pages late into the night. This is a well written book and I would recommend it.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions contained in this review is entirely my own.

The perfect patient is well written although I do feel that it could do with another round of editing. The story felt dragged out and did not keep my interest I often found my thoughts drifting and had to reread parts because I had no idea what I had read. I don't feel like this is a book I will remember a few months from now.

The characters felt a little flat and I found it hard to connect to them and care about what happened to them. This is definitely a slow burn so if that is something you like you will enjoy this book.

It was not a bad book it just wasn't my cup of tea. I can however see that some people might enjoy it and it was not horrible or unreadable. I gave it three stars as it was fine it just didn't blow me away.

Thank NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced readers copy.

3.5/5 stars - Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to review this book! I went into this read without any expectations, and I ended up enjoying it! It was a very quick read, and it had some interesting twists. I did question a lot of the main character’s decisions, and there was a plot device used at the end that is not my favorite (IYKYK). But overall an enjoyable read.

What to expect if you pick this up: This book is the story of Tara Black, a psychologist assigned to a criminal case, to assess whether the accused, Jade, actually has amnesia regarding the events of the murder. Tara gets wrapped up in Jade’s story and her powerful family, and she makes a lot of questionable decisions in pursuit of the truth. That was my main complaint. I just don’t think a professional would have behaved the way that Tara did. It took me out of the story at times. I will say there are good twists and turns which keep the story interesting. The pace of the narrative is good. The end was…okay. There was use of a plot device at the end to explain Jade’s behavior that I didn’t love. I don’t want to say more that will spoil it, but you’ll know what I mean when you get there. It’s a personal pet-peeve of mine.

You’ll like this if: you can go with a story without scrutinizing the plot too much, and if you enjoy a thriller largely rooted in psychology.

#bookreview #bookreviewer #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #theperfectpatient #luanalewis #netgalley #bookouture

THE PERFECT PATIENT captured my attention right away. I wanted to know if Jade had killed Carl or not. I found her step-parents to be quite odd and thought something was definitely not right with either of them. I did like Tara's character, despite all the things that were happening to her she was not a quitter. Overall, I did find this to be a very enjoyable read. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, I would recommend reading this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my gifted copy.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

The perfect patient by Luana Lewis immediately gripped my attention and was hard to put down. There was always something new and there were many twists. Just when I thought I figured out who was the killer, something new was thrown at me and personally that kept me more interested. I could say that I was literally at the edge of my seat. The ending left me shooketh. I definitely recommend it!

First of all, let's talk about that very first line in the prologue...

quote: "She sits on the edge of the bed. Dry mouth. Foggy head. Orange light trickles in from the streetlamps outside and sequins shimmer on her dress".

As a girl who loves psychological thrillers, I thought this book was well written. Even though i'm not entirely a huge fan of the third POV, this wasn't too bad. I thought this book was quick paced and the background of each character was well depicted.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for this e-ARC. I really enjoyed reading it!!! <3

Thank you to #NetGalley, #Bookouture and Luana Lewis for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Perfect Patient, to be published 28 September 2023. 4/5 stars for this psychological thriller that included not only murder, but amnesia, dissociative disorder, organized crime, extended family relationships, interpersonal conflicts, adultery, sexual abuse, teen angst and a dog named Ziggy. A psychologist has her work cut out for her when she is tasked with doing a forensic psychological evaluation of an individual who denies any knowledge of the crime. Those who appreciate a novel with a little something for everyone will enjoy this book. #NetGalley #Bookouture #LuanaLewis #ThePerfectPatient

The prologue of The Perfect Patient is short and snappy, it asks the reader questions that we need answers to, and most importantly, it makes the book begin with a bang, a bang I couldn't ignore the whole way through the novel, that meant I couldn't stop reading until I knew what was going on.

The "perfect patient" in the title is Jade Jameson. She's been charged with killing a man but she can't remember anything that happened on the night she died. She's a complex character and Luana Lewis has developed all aspects of her character in impressive detail. I loved getting to know her, learning more about her and her background as the novel gathered pace.
The doctor charged with assessing Jade is Dr Tara Black, and she's not exactly straightforward either. I loved peeling back her layers too, which the author lays out for us and reveals to us gradually and carefully.
I don't have the space in one review to write about every character individually, but Luana Lewis has observed the complexities of human emotions and decisions brilliantly and given each character their own story that is fascinating in its own right and it's intriguing to see how their histories and personalities come together.

With such a wonderful melting pot of characters, it's inevitable that the author would take us on such a rollercoaster ride. There were moments when I was on the edge of my seat, and moments that are absolutely heartbreaking, and Luana Lewis makes switching between the two look ridiculously easy. There are so many twists and turns: just when I thought I had guessed something right, I was completely blindsided!

I will definitely be reading more by this author.

THE PERFECT PATIENT is a psychological thriller by clinical psychologist and writer Luana Lewis.

Her Novels Include:
Don't Stand So Close (2014)
Cravings (2015)
Forget Me Not (2015)
The Perfect Patient (2023)

This is my review of The Perfect Patient.

Jade, a 17-year-old girl with no history of violence and no apparent mental health problems has been charged with killing a man, double her age, she’d never met, who the police had found been stabbed eleven times in her hotel suite. She remembers chatting with him at the bar, and then later both going up to her room. When she discovers the dead body, she sees that she is covered in blood down her legs and arms.

But she knows she didn’t kill him…

Now six months later, after dealing extensively with the police, Jade walks into her therapist’s office, Dr. Tara Black ready to answer the question … Is she a murderer? Dr Tara Black is her only hope of clearing her name by accessing her memories of that night.

But why are Jade’s parents scared when they find out what their daughter told her therapist about her childhood?

How far will Jade have to go, to prove her innocence? Who should she trust?

This gripping psychological thriller will have you hooked from the very first page to the last jaw-dropping twist.

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for my digital copy.

I did enjoy this twisty book. I really wasn't sure how it was going to pan out and even towards the end of the book with very little left to read I still wasn't sure .however I wasn't a fan of the ending and felt there was still too much left unexplained I feel so disappointed that what I thought was going to be a 5 star book ended up as a 3 or 4 star book for me I will give it 4 but I do wish it had ended differently.

I enjoyed the medical-heavy tone throughout this book. At the end of the book the author had mentioned she was a clinical psychologist and that was very apparent in her writing. It gave the book depth.

There were many elements that led to the twist and turns towards the end and the “whodunnit” reveal that kept the plot engaging. I also really enjoyed how the main character ends the book actually made me angry/uncomfortable. I like the switch up from the usual happy endings. However, I still have many unanswered questions and I hope there will be a sequel.

What would have made this a 5-star read was if there was more about Dr. Black’s own experience with her family. The fact that her life somewhat mirrored her clients life, and the repetitive mention of it and her missing brother, was a missed opportunity to elaborate and make a bigger subplot. Hopefully that will be included in a sequel or even a prequel because I need to know what happened!

I loves the idea of the book and was very keen to. read it. It started really well and grabbed my interest. However I did find the middle slow but was still intrigued enough to carry on and find the answers. I was slightly confused by the last line. Maybe it's just me as most others seemed to love it but it was just an OK read for me.

Jade Jameson was truly the center of it all but is she a victim or a murderer? And will the her therapist hurt her or help her? Figuring these two things out was really what had me flying through the pages! You'll be so determined to see who has good motives and those who don't. Also, there were some really some great plot twists that not only did I not see coming but they were amazing! Lastly, this book did a great job of bring light to certain things. Once you read you'll see what I'm referring to! I can't wait to read more from this author!